A trip to Texas Motor Speedway saw drivers The Lone Star State on the heels of a wild race. Now things are bound to get even wilder as the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Cup Series head to Talladega Superspeedway.
NASCAR’s largest track serves as the site of the 10th race of the season for the Cup Series. A track that is popular for its fan entertainment, plenty of action will be on hand this weekend leading up to the race.
Grand Marshal: United States Army General Daniel R. Hokanson will give the command to fire the engines ahead of the Geico 500. Hokanson currently serves as the 29th Chief of National Guard Bureau and as a military adviser to the President, Secretary of Defense and National Security Council.
Honorary Starter: Waving the green for the first lap of the Geico 500 will be NASCAR Hall-of-Famer Mark Martin. The 2017 HoF inductee won 40 Cup races, including a pair at Talladega, coming in 1995 and 1997.
Flyover: The 187th Fighter Wing’s F-35 jets of the Alabama Army National Guard will blaze through the skies before the Cup race. Prior to the Ag-Pro 300, a CH-47F Chinook helicopter and two UH-60L Blackhawk helicopters will fly above the track.
Infield Concert: GRAMMY-nominated country artist Walker Hayes will be the star of Saturday night in the infield following the Ag-Pro 300. The Mobile, Ala., native’s song “Fancy Like” was top five on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2021 and was number one on Hot Country Songs for over six months.
Entering his fifth year with Frontstretch, Luken Glover is the author of The Underdog House, shedding light on the motivation and performance of NASCAR's dark horse teams as they strive to fight to the top. Additionally, Glover reports for the site at various events, and he contributes in the video editing department.
A 2023 graduate of the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is a middle school math and PE teacher, as well as a basketball coach. He is passionate about serving in his church, playing/coaching a wide variety of sports, and researching motorsports history.